


One Big (Extended) Family

by tayrulez



Category: Forever (TV 2014)
Genre: Confessions, Film Reels, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:41:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21866902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tayrulez/pseuds/tayrulez
Summary: Jo, Henry, and Abe take some old film reels to Lucas - and they discover something big
Relationships: Henry Morgan/Lucas Wahl
Comments: 1
Kudos: 60





	One Big (Extended) Family

Jo has been on leave for the past week since her grandmother died. After the memorial service, she was given a few boxes of old letters, heirlooms, and home videos on reels. When she returns to New York, she sets most of the items in her closet. Wiping away a few stray tears, she collects several reels and grabs her car keys.

As she drives, she wonders if it's a good idea. It's already eleven at night, and she's headed for her pseudo-partner's residence and place of business. She only realizes she's been conversing with herself for so long when she absently pulls up at the parking space.

Jo takes her key out of the ignition and reaches for her phone… only to curse herself for not being in the right mind to grab it from the counter. On second thought, she slaps the steering wheel for driving without her license.

The woman takes in a deep breath to steady herself. She collects the reels from the backseat, locks her car, and walks up to the antique shop door. She shakes her head at her idiocy and knocks on the door.

Abraham is startled out of his sleep. After adjusting to the dark, he grabs his trusty aluminum baseball bat that he's had since high school and meets his dad in the hall.

"It's close to midnight. Who could it be?"

"I'd venture I either have an urgent case… or we have a very polite thief."

Abe rolls his eyes at Henry's humor. He grips his bat tighter and trails after his immortal father, feeling a rush of deja vu from countless years through his childhood. Henry reaches the middle step and lets out a sigh mixed with confusion and relief.

"Put down the bat, Abraham. It's only Detective Martinez."

"Jo?" He asks, doing as asked. "Isn't she supposed to be in Knoxville?"

Henry looks equally as confused. He shrugs half-heartedly and moves to unlock the door.

"Hello, Detective. Is something the matter?"

"Hi, Henry. Yes, no, can you convert film to disc?"

He raised an eyebrow and silently asks his son. Unfortunately, he shakes his head. Before Jo or Henry can say another word, Abe's eyes sparkle.

"But I know someone who can."

Jo looks confused, but Abe and Henry have a silent conversation. Henry then smiles slightly and briskly walks to the cash register. He picks up the landline beside it and dials a familiar number.

Lucas is sleeping peacefully, dreams of Devilicus and Warrior Angel flirting through their fighting when the X-Files theme music broadcasts over them. He jolts awake and shuffles through chip bags and graphic novels to find his phone.

"Lucas Wahl, Assistant ME." He groggily answers in a professional fashion with the false hope that Henry has a case for him.

"Lucas. Terribly sorry to call at such a late hour, but I have a favor to ask of you."

"Sure, Doc." He smiles, sitting upright. "In the morgue?"

"Not quite." Henry lets a smile grace his lips, thinking of the younger man's willingness to get to work. "Actually, I'd like to take you up on your previous offer to transfer my film reels into discs."

"Absolutely!" Lucas jumps out of bed, throwing his things to the bookcase. “Come on over. I’ll set everything up.”

“Thank you, and Lucas?”

“Yeah?”

“It isn’t only me coming over.”

“Abe’s welcome.”

“And Jo?” Henry bites his lip, feeling as though he’s asking for too much.

“Detective Martinez? She’s back?” He pauses. “Sure. She can come over too.”

“Thanks, Lucas. We’ll be over shortly.”

Henry hangs up, and Lucas quickly shuffles around his apartment. He picks up his graphic novels and shifts his food containers around. He grabs a certain set of keys from the drawer next to his refrigerator and moves all of his equipment into an empty box. He almost makes it out the door when he remembers that he’s still wearing his  _ Poltergeist _ pajamas. Lucas sets down the box and strips down. Forgoing adding underwear, he pulls on a  _ Supernatural _ T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants lying on the end of his couch. 

He recollects his keys and grabs his phone and the box. Lucas locks up and takes the elevator to the basement. Searching through the copies of keys he’s grabbed, he finds the one for the old security room behind the laundry room. They’ve had a surface level security room for the past eight years, but they left the old one as is, and Lucas has been using it mostly for surround sound video gaming. Just as he finishes setting things up, his phone rings.

“Detective Martinez?”

“Actually, this is Henry. We’ve pulled up to your apartment. Are you in?”

“Uh-huh…” He spaces out for a second when Henry refers to himself by his first name. “I’m in the basement. The elevator’s working, and the stairs are behind it.”

“Okay. Thank you, Lucas.”

Henry hangs up, snapping shut the flip phone. He hands it back to Jo and pats his son on the shoulder as the seventy-something man shifts the gear to park. Jo is still pouting about not being able to drive her own car. She knew she shouldn’t have said anything about not having her license. Jo and Abe take the elevator, the latter rolling his eyes when Henry opts for the stairs. He gets to the basement quicker than the elevator.

“Hey, Doc!”

“Lucas, it’s after work hours. Call me Henry.”

“Well, it’s after midnight. So, it’s really  _ before _ work hours.” He drawls, cheeks flushing. “But… okay, Henry.”

The elevator dings and the other two people step out with film reels. Lucas smiles over Henry’s shoulder and gestures them to the back room.

“Come on in. I’ve got everything set up.”

Jo hands him one of the reels as they walk in. She and Abe deposit the others in a stack by the PC tower. Despite there being enough room for twenty-five people packed like sardines, Henry is hovering over Lucas, eager to learn how the process works. Fifteen minutes later, the large security screen in the middle begins broadcasting the first film reel. The date at the bottom of the picture reads  _ 14 Mar 1948 _ .

After the adjustment period, the picture flickers and reveals wood-paneled walls. A three-year-old boy laughingly runs past the camera, and another young boy and girl run after.

“Cut him off, Fawn!” The boy in the back calls out.

“Lyle, you quit that running.” A woman’s voice scolds him off-screen.

“Aw, let the kids be kids, Maureen.” Another woman scoffs.

In the security room, Abe catches Henry’s eye. They’re thinking the same thing: this is them. On the screen, someone picks up the camera, angling it toward the living room. One of the women turns around, and Abe in the security office grabs Henry’s hand. He nods. Onscreen, she reaches for the hand of the cameraman.

“Come and dance with me, Henry. I’ll have Maureen put on our record.”

“Not in front of the camera, Abigail.” He tuts. “Besides, the camera is here for the mother-to-be.”

The two boys make their appearance on the screen, with one tackling the other. The tackled child giggles and looks up to the adults with bright blue eyes.

“Is Aunt Madelyn going to have a baby girl still? Or did she change her mind?”

“Of course she is, Abraham.” The unseen man pats his lap for his son to climb up. “She’s already picked out a name. Do you want to hear it?”

“Yeah, yeah!”

“Joanna.”

Abraham scrunches up his face. “Joanna Mahoney? What’s wrong with Ollie? Like the dragon!”

Henry and Abigail chuckle, and Abraham squirms off of his father’s lap, pouting. Before either can say another word, a laborious scream is heard from another area in the house. The other woman, Maureen, claps her hands loudly.

“It’s Go Time, people! Henry, grab that camera. Let’s go, kids.”

The tape reel ends, and Henry and Abe have matching, shocked looks on their faces. They quickly mask them while Lucas switches out the reels. He announces that tape one is finished, and they can start on the next. Jo hands over another reel, wondering aloud where those kids are now. Lucas adjusts the next reel, and they sit back and watch. After the residual jumping, a new date appears at the bottom of the picture:  _ 07 Nov 1951. _

This video opens with a fountain in the park. The same two boys from the other video are balancing along the edge of the fountain. Maureen marches over and grabs Lyle's arm.

"Just how old do you think you are, young man?"

"Seven." He grins. "That's how come I'm balancin' and not jumpin' in there like Abraham."

The other boy scowls at him. "You pushed me in when Fawn came over."

Maureen is about to scold her son when Abigail speaks up.

"Fawn? I haven't seen her or her family today. Where are they?"

Lyle points behind the camera. The camera follows where he points. A seven-year-old girl is holding a three-year-old girl's hand and their mom trails behind.

"Hello, Fawn. Joanna." The man behind the camera welcomes them.

"Hi, Uncle Henry." Fawn grins, swinging her sister's hand. “I got to help Mama with Joanna’s seat. The belt got all tangledy up.”

“Well, it’s lucky she’s got a big sister like you.”

Fawn nods, giving him a toothy grin. “Are you an’ Aunt Abby going to have another baby?”

He hums fondly. “I’m not so sure, Fawn.”

“Is it ‘cause of you dying?”

“Fawn!” Madelyn admonishes her daughter, dragging both of them with her. Offscreen, she can still be heard. “You know you can’t talk about such things on camera.”

“Only family’s gonna watch the yucky video anyway.” She pouts as she’s walked away.

The camera shifts back to the fountain. Abigail and Maureen are setting food on a picnic blanket in front of the fountain. Abraham and Lyle are sitting on the edge of the fountain, legs dangling. Fawn joins the boys, and Joanna picks up her kite from beside the picnic table.

"Can I go fly it, Mommy?"

"Yes, Darling.” Madelyn nods. “Have fun.”

The tape cuts off, and Jo has tears in her eyes, Abe absently hands Lucas another reel, but Henry is stuck in motion against the wall. Jo wipes away the tears with a sigh.

“Grandma Joanna told me a lot of stories about when she was younger. About her older sister. Cousin Henry and their friends. It’s another thing seeing them all.”

Lucas nods awkwardly, noticing Henry’s rigid form but deciding against saying anything. He loads up the next reel. Jo and Abe are sitting on the fold-out chairs that had been leaning against the wall. Henry declines sitting on the third, keeping his position at the wall. The next video emits static before settling on a piano sitting against a beige apartment wall. The date at the bottom reads  _ 07 Sep 1957 _ .

A twelve-year-old boy with bright blue eyes leads a thirteen-year-old girl to the piano. He climbs onto the bench and begins to play a melodic classic tune. She smiles, tilting her head, and climbs up next to him. She intertwines her arms with his and plays along, adding a stretch of jazz. The song continues for the next three minutes, and a nine-year-old girl appears, dancing behind them with a smile on her face. When the song ends, the older girl turns to the boy and kisses him on the lips.

“Ew! Kissy face!” The younger girl exclaims.

“Joanna!” The older girl squeals, giving chase after her sister. “You better not tell Mom!”

“Wow…” The boy at the piano sighs happily. “My first kiss, and it’s with Fawn Mahoney.”

“I remember that kiss,” Abe speaks, alerting the others in the small room.

Lucas mutes the video, and he and Jo turn to face him. Lucas speaks first.

“Wait. You remember… are you that kid? Are you blue eyes Abraham?”

“I… yes. Abigail was my mom.”

“And… hey!” Jo notices the picture change. A new person enters the frame, kissing Abigail. “Lucas! Stop the reel!”

Lucas does as asked, and two jaws drop as they identify the man onscreen. Pulling away from Abigail with a smile on his face is thirty-five-year-old Henry Morgan. Lucas unmutes the video. While Jo backs into the door, Lucas walks into Henry’s personal space and pokes his face.

“Lucas, what are you doing?”

“Making sure you’re alive.” He quips. “Do you remember  _ that _ kiss with Abigail?”

Henry looks between Lucas (who looks intrigued), Abe (who shrugs), and Jo (who just looks bewildered). “Yes, I remember it fondly.”

“That was in 1957.” Jo shakes her head. “My grandmother was nine. There’s no way that’s… but it has to be. Henry, when were you born?”

He bites his inside cheek before responding, “1779.”

Jo opens the door, looking down at the floor. “I need some time, Dr. Morgan. I won’t tell anyone, and Lucas, call me when you have those reels on disc, thank you.”

Jo walks away, letting the door shut. Lucas breaks the silence.

“Cool! So, you’re immortal? Like Wolverine? Or Deathstroke? Or Deadpool?”

“Who’s Deathstroke?” Abe asks, pulling the questioning away from Henry.

“He’s a mercenary who swore a vendetta against the Titans for the death of his oldest son Grant.” Henry supplies for his son.

Both of them stare at him, but Lucas breaks out in a smile. “You read  _ The Titans _ graphic novels!?”

Henry nods. “They’re quite entertaining. I rather like the idea that the offspring of a demonic entity would pick up a teenager left for dead to join her vigilante team. You know, she could do well if she were with him or Natasha.”

Lucas’ eyes widen. “You really  _ do _ read them!”

Abe shakes his head and walks toward the door. “I’ll leave the two of you to your comic book date. Henry, I’ll take the bus home.”

“That’s fine, Abraham,” Henry answers. “I’ll stay here until the films are transferred.”

“Or stay the night,” Lucas interjects hopefully.

“Yes,” Henry responds to both men. “I’ll stay the night.”

After Abe leaves, Lucas turns to Henry. “He called...  _ this _ a date, and you didn’t deny it.”

Henry rubs the back of his head. “Did you want me to?”

Lucas is taken aback. “Uh, no. I mean, well… what kind of question is that?”

“If I asked you out to a dinner tonight, what would be your response?”

“Are you asking me out?”

“Not yet.”

“A dinner sounds great, Henry.”

“Wonderful.” He smiles, pulling Lucas into a quick kiss. “Now, let’s finish these reels, shall we?”

Lucas smiles and returns to his seat. Henry has pulled a fold-out chair close to the screens, and he smiles at Lucas as the videos continue.


End file.
